Sheffield stab victim was left scarred for life

Gael Stigant

A Sheffield man who stabbed a student in the groin leaving him scarred for life has been jailed for nearly six years.

Karl Rodgers, aged 25, stabbed the young man with a knife and left him bleeding heavily on a street in the city centre.

Sheffield Crown Court heard Rodgers, of Piper Court, Longley, attacked the student outside the Spicy Chik takeaway on West Street on February 22 this year.

Louise Reevell, prosecuting, said the student had been drinking heavily and had lost his friends earlier in the night.

He was making his way home alone from the Embrace nightclub when he bumped into a man and two women.

She said: “He ended up arguing with this group, there was pushing and shoving on both sides.”

A woman hit the victim in the arm with a bottle five times, and he pushed one of the women twice.

Ms Reevell added: “As he moved away, the defendant came over and stabbed him with a knife in the groin.

“He was left bleeding heavily and he heard one of the females saying he deserved it.”

The young man was hospitalised and referred to surgeons over fears his bowel had been ruptured.

He had to have a CT scan and was in hospital under observation for two days.

The court heard that police used CCTV to trace the women involved, and then used Facebook to identify Rodgers via the women’s ‘friends’ lists.

Ms Reevell said: “The complainant still has a visible scar in his groin about 5cm long. It’s a constant reminder of the attack.

“It’s affected his sex life because when he has sex he has severe pains around the area of the scar.”

The court heard the attack caused the student to take two to three weeks off university, which had a negative effect on his exam and coursework marks.

Holly Betke, for Rodgers, said: “Although he is a risk to the public, the persons he is a risk to are males who he sees as threats to someone he cares about.”

The court heard Rodgers was also responsible for two burglaries in Scholes, Rotherham, on November 21 last year. He raided a retired lady’s home on Admirals Crescent and burgled £6,000 worth of items from a home on Hesley Mews.

Rodgers admitted one count of wounding with intent and two counts of burglary.

He was jailed for five years and ten months.

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